Uncovering The Shattered Remains Of A Broken Life
by ActressCeCe
Summary: A six-year-old girl with a severe PTSD is brought into the hospital after experiencing hypothermia and is entrusted into Carlisle's care. Granted permission, he takes her to his home where he and Esme try to heal the broken remains. Will he and Esme be able to help this girl that they know almost nothing about and find out what really happened? Nothing has ever been so bittersweet.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to the story! Before we get started, I would like to clear a few things up as to avoid confusion. Please read what is listed below.**

**Main Setting: Minneapolis, Minnesota and Apple Valley, Minnesota**

**Beginning Year: 2001**

**Beginning Character Ages: Carlisle - 361 in human years and forever frozen at 33, Esme - 102 in human years and forever frozen at 31, Main Child That You Will Eventually Find Out The Name Of - 6, just six**

**Warning: Mentions of rape and possibly other horrible events**

**Well that's pretty much it and I will let you guys get to reading shortly! Oh! One more thing. Well, two, I guess. First I just wanted to let you know that none of the Cullen kids or werewolves will be appearing in this story. Second, we can't forget the disclaimer! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga but I do own this story and it's plot and the characters I create and would appreciate it if you would NOT copy my ideas or characters unless I have given you permission to do so. Thank you! :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1:**

**CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:**

"Dr. Cullen? We need your help with a hypothermia victim that has just arrived," a nurse said, poking her head into my office.

"I'm coming," I said, getting up out of my chair and following her down the wide ER hallway to the room where the patient was waiting.

My heart broke just a little when I saw that it was a tiny girl, probably around six or seven. She had blonde hair, skin so pale that it looked almost blue, and was as skinny as a stick; bones jutting out in places that I didn't think were possible. Her skin color must be because of hypothermia, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was her natural skin tone. I could count her ribs through her torn shirt, and if she weren't so weak-looking I could probably use her shoulder to slice an apple. It was good that she wasn't bleeding anywhere.

What worried me the most was that her face was completely emotionless. There was this blank expression on her face as if nothing was going on. She showed no fear, as most children would at a time like this, and wasn't moving at all. She wasn't shivering and there was only a slight bit of movement from her breathing. Her eyes combed the room, and again, and again, and again. She didn't seem to notice the nurses sticking IV's in her arm, or hooking her up to the heart monitor. She just sat on the bed wrapped in blankets, totally oblivious to everything around her. This wasn't normal.

I picked up the clipboard to look at her chart but found that it was blank.

"She won't speak," one of the nurses said, noticing my gaze. "We don't know anything about her, not even her name."

"This isn't normal," I said, shaking my head.

"Could it be some kind of mental illness?" she wondered.

I shook my head. "None of her symptoms fit. Any special needs child would have been screaming at this point."

Then I thought of something. "Hannah, please get me a rape kit."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't really think that, do you?"

"It's a possibility, and we've got to figure out what's going on."

Sure enough, the poor child had been raped. It was all coming together now. The girl had an extremely severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This couldn't be healed medicinally; she had to come to on her own. There was no guessing how long it would take. Hours, days, weeks, months, even years, there was just no telling when.

"Okay here's what I want. I want everyone to please leave so that she's not overwhelmed," I instructed.

They all left.

"Hello, Child," I greeted her softly, gently, smiling at her.

No response.

"What's your name, Little One?" I asked.

Still no answer. Her eyes were on me though, so I knew she wasn't deaf. I slowly walked towards her until I reached the bed. I lovingly stroked her cheek. Still no reaction. I sat down on the stool next to her to wait. I sat there for hours, just staring into her eyes as she stared into mine. After about four hours when it was one in the afternoon, her expression changed to one of curiosity. I beamed at her; she was making progress.

"You're going to be okay, Child, I promise," I told her softly.

She looked a little bit frightened.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, can you tell me your name?" I asked.

Nothing.

"That's okay Sweetie, I'm sure you'll open up to me soon enough," I said.

I sat with her like that for a couple more hours. Her facial expression became less frightened, and settled on a look of contentment. I wanted so badly to scoop her up and hug her, but I was afraid that it would frighten her. Even though she didn't do much and I didn't know her that well, she was a delightful child. She just lit up my world, and I didn't know why. Maybe it was because Esme and I didn't have any kids – couldn't have any kids, or maybe it was just something about this little girl's true personality that she wouldn't let me see right now, but I knew it was there. It was there under that deep, dark mask of whatever trauma she had been through.

"Honey, I'm going to examine you, okay? It won't hurt, you have nothing to be afraid of," I said.

I gently checked her ears for any problems. She had a minor ear infection that I suspected was just from the cold and would heal quickly on its own. I didn't want to give her antibiotics. When I tried to check her eyes with my penlight, she turned her head away. She moved! She actually moved! I praised her for that, but then insisted that she keep her head still for just a moment. Once I said that, she cooperated. So she did understand language. I was almost positive that she didn't have any sort of brain disability. I finished the exam without much fuss, but she was not very happy at the end of it. She was upset for a little bit but then slowly began slipping back into her expressionless stage. Determined not to let that happen, I quick picked her up and held her tight to my chest.

"No, do not go back to that. Stay with me, Baby," I cooed.

She seemed startled, but she stayed with me. She laid her little head on my shoulder as I swayed back and forth in front of the window. I grabbed her hand and pressed it against my cheek, kissing it occasionally. Her breathing evened, and she drifted off to sleep. It was getting late, but I just couldn't put her down. I also didn't want to leave her in this dark room all alone. I was Chief of the ER, so I got to call all the shots. I decided that it would be best for her to stay in my office overnight. I would stay with her, of course. On my way to my office, I stopped by the linen closet and grabbed a few blankets and pillows. I laid her down on one of the couches and covered her with two blankets. I put the pillow under her head and smoothed her hair back out of her face. I tossed the other blanket and pillow onto the other couch. If I was going to "sleep" here tonight, I would need some props. I sat down at my desk across the room and did some paperwork. I also contemplated what to do with the shy little girl that I had on my hands. I didn't know her name, and she wouldn't speak. The poor thing had been raped, so I doubted that she had very good parents. Accidents do happen, but what are the odds of that happening to a six-year-old child with _responsible _parents. Not very likely in my book.

At about midnight, my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Esme.

"Hello Dear, I apologize for not calling you," I said.

"It's fine Carlisle, I'm just wondering when you're coming home. Were you caught up in surgery?" she asked.

"No Dear. This morning a hypothermia victim was admitted and turned out to be a six-year-old rape victim. We can't find out anything about her because she seems to have severe PTSD and won't speak and will barely move. She seems frightened, but also curious. I have her in my office right now because I don't want her alone in that exam room and she's become a little attached to me," I explained.

"She's attached to you or you're attached to her?" I could hear the smile in her voice.

"All right, you got me. The situation is just such a shame though," I said.

"It is," she agreed. "But I know that you're doing everything you can to help her. You'll fix her Carlisle, I know you will."

"It's just going to take a long time," I said. "She doesn't seem too eager to heal. She's so closed off and distant. At first I felt like I was talking to a statue."

"No one should have to go through something like that, especially a child. You're her only hope Carlisle," she said.

"I wouldn't say that."

"I would. No one is more caring and loving than you. I say forget the medical attention unless it is something crucial, and give her plenty of TLC. She needs to be loved," Esme said.

"Esme, I'm only her doctor. I can't be the person to give her the love she deserves," I said.

"Well if she gets it from no one else then I'd say that it would be perfectly acceptable for you to do so. Love is the best healing medicine," she said.

I glanced over at the sleeping child. "I can't argue with that, Love."

"Well I'm sure you have work to do, so I will let you go. Call me in the morning?" she requested.

"Of course. Love you," I said.

"Love you more."

At about three in the morning, when I was laying on the other couch pretending to sleep, I heard the Unnamed Angel begin to stir. I opened eyes to the barest slits so that I could try to catch her in an unguarded moment. I wanted to see if she relaxed at all during the night, or if the guarded persona she had was permanent. Apparently it was permanent, because there was no change from yesterday.

She sat up robotically and looked around the room. I groaned and pretended to stretch as if I were just waking up. I sat up and flicked on one of the lamps, causing dim light to flood the room. I got up and slowly approached the couch where she was sitting, eyes wide open. Squatting down before her, I grabbed her hands and rubbed them in soothing circles.

"Hello Sweetheart, do you need anything?" I asked, hoping she would answer me.

No such luck. She looked back at me as if she wanted to reply, as if the answer was on the edges of her lips, but couldn't let it out. Her expression was one of sadness, and I thought maybe a little bit of guilt. She barely showed any emotion, but it was definitely there. It was so faint that a human would not be able to see it.

"Don't worry," I said, patting her knee. "I'll find out what you need."

First I had a nurse take her to the bathroom. Afterwards she looked a little less uncomfortable, but she still didn't look happy. I brought her back to my office and got her some soup from the cafeteria. I set it down in front of her, and she just looked at it. I put a very small amount of broth on the spoon, made sure that it wasn't too hot, and held it up to her lips. She turned her face away.

"Please Honey, just try a bite. I don't want to have to put in a feeding tube," I told her.

This time I pushed the spoon just slightly through her lips. Again she turned away. Even though I didn't want to, I put my hand on the back of her head to hold it still, forced her mouth open, and force-fed her. I was thankful that she didn't spit it out at me. After that, she seemed more willing to eat. She opened her mouth every time I held the spoon to her lips and was able to eat half the bowl.

"Good girl," I praised her. "Do you want a sip of water?"

I held the straw up to her mouth as I had with the spoon. She wasted no time taking three tiny sips of water. I guessed that her stomach was very small from not having eaten for a long time and she couldn't handle much. She had eaten quite a bit though, and I was pleased.

A week went by and she showed no progress. If anything, she had slipped back into that blank, frozen being that she had been days before. Since the little girl was in my care and had to sleep in my office I practically lived at the hospital and hadn't gotten to see Esme for a week. I had talked to her on the phone, but it wasn't the same. And there was no way that I was leaving this child here alone. Now I was being confronted by the churlish administrator.

"Cullen, it's been more than a week and the attention deficit child or whatever she has is no better than she was on day one. Your methods aren't working, so you either need to turn her over to someone else's care or move her to a different hospital. I know that you're the amazing all-knowing Chief of the ER and all, but you can't fix a disability," Dr. Thompson said.

I was angered by his words, but I didn't let that get to me. "Richard, she's not attention deficit, she has severe PTSD. All she needs is love and care which I am perfectly capable of giving her. I understand that you can't have a patient in the hospital forever and you have to deal with the Board, so grant me permission to do something. Let me take her to my home and heal her so that we can put her in foster care as soon as possible."

"Carlisle, that isn't legal," he said.

"Does it seem like I care? I don't really care what the law says, because all I want is to help this child! I will _not_ turn her over to someone else, I will _not _ship her off to another hospital because you don't want to deal with something, and I will **NOT** release her until she is healed," I said firmly.

He seemed taken aback by my words. "You would risk a lawsuit and losing your medical license for a mere patient?"

"No, I would risk a lawsuit and chance of my license being revoked for a child that needs to be loved and taken care of in a proper way," I said strongly.

"Well it's your call I guess. Don't say I didn't warn you when they come to throw you in jail," he smirked.

"And don't be surprised when I earn a cash reward for the hospital for healing a helpless child," I shot back.

"The hospital wouldn't earn the reward, _you _would," he emphasized as if I didn't know what I was talking about.

"Yes, but I would donate it to the hospital to help pay for any supplies we need or pay the wonderful staff who put their heart and soul into helping people. It would be dumb and selfish to keep it for myself," I said, giving him a _very_ pointed look.

He looked very uncomfortable, and I smiled on the inside. A few years back, he had earned a ten thousand dollar reward for being an administrator for so long. Being the selfish and proud man that he was, he kept it all for himself. At the time, Allina Abbott Northwestern Hospital was in serious debt. The reward had been given to him by the hospital because they thought that it would motivate him to do something about the debt, but it just got them in deeper. The only way they had gotten themselves out of that hole was when Dr. Richard Thompson begrudgingly hired me a few months later. I had donated ten million dollars, which was really just the tip of the iceberg off my bank account, and with my enhanced abilities to help people, we now got more money from the government. The administrator was considered a hero, but my close colleagues and I who hate Richard just as much as I do know the truth. This was probably the biggest cause of the standing rivalry between us.

Pushing all negative thoughts about the person I despised out of my head, I wasted no time in getting back to my little angel. I had three weeks off to take care of and heal this little girl before I had to return her to the hospital and hand her off to someone else whether I fixed her or not. If she was better, she would be put into foster care. If she wasn't any better, she would be sent to another hospital and there would be nothing I could do about it.

Either way, Esme would be ecstatic about this, especially since we had no children. I thought about calling her, but the idea of surprising her grew on me. She hadn't seen me for so long that I bet if I came home on a Monday night like this with a little girl in my arms the time would be all worth it for her.

"Hi Honey, I'm back. I told you I wouldn't be long," I said, greeting the child as I went into my office.

I walked over to her and crouched down before her and made eye contact.

"Listen Honey, I've got some great news for you. You don't have to be here any longer. If it's okay with you, I will take you home with me so that my wife and I can care for you for a while. You won't be surrounded by a bunch of bright lights and people in white coats, you will have your own room with your own bed to sleep in, and best of all, you won't have any nurses bugging you in the middle of the night. Does that sound good?"

I knew that she wouldn't answer me, but I saw a faint sparkle of excitement and happiness in her eyes.

"Wonderful. Now here's the catch. You need to get better for me, okay? You need to be showing emotion and speaking like I know you're capable of. I know what you've been through, Sweetheart, and I know it's hard to let yourself out and get rid of the mask but I'm here to help you with that, okay? Together we can make you better and let you be the happy little girl that you were however long ago. If by the time the three weeks are up you're still not ready to come out of your shell, you will have to go to a different hospital so that someone else can help you. It sounds scary, I know, but let's not worry and hope it doesn't come to that. If by the end of your time at home with me you are healthy and happy again, you will probably be put up for adoption. That may scare you a little too but I promise that I will find you a nice family that will open up their hearts to you. Let's not worry about that though and focus on right now. Just remember that you are not alone in this, all right?" I asked.

The child reached out her little hand and wrapped it around my index finger. She looked down at me with the same small sparkle in her eyes. Then her shoulders dropped as if that was all that she could muster up. I beamed at her. I cautiously wrapped my arm around her little body, pulling her in for a hug.

"You'll be all right, I just know it," I told her. "Now how about we get going?"

I stood up and put on my long black coat and grabbed my black bag. I picked the angel up and swaddled her in a warm blanket so that she wouldn't get sick from the cold early-October air here in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It was almost always cloudy or rainy, which was perfect for us. Esme and I lived on the outskirts of town in a mansion near Lebanon Hills Regional Park. We were located deep in the woods that surrounded the park, so we were never bothered by humans. I did have about a forty minute commute since I worked in Minneapolis, but it was worth it. Everything about it was beautiful.

I placed her in the backseat of my Mercedes and settled her in for the long car ride home. She didn't seem uneasy about anything at all, and I was very pleased. This child obviously trusted me, and it was great to know that. She didn't make a peep during the entire trip, but she hadn't fallen asleep. When we arrived, I shut off the car and then went to help her out. Her eyes were alight with curiosity as she stared at the big white house. I offered her my hand, but she didn't accept. She didn't want to move either. I noticed the mask beginning to come back since she was in a new place, so I picked her up and carried her up to the door. Despite my efforts, she slipped back into the blank, expressionless, limp being that she had been.

I went inside, took off my coat, and waited for my wife to come bounding up to me. Boy was she in for a surprise . . .

"Carlisle!" Esme exclaimed, coming around the corner. She stopped short when she saw the child in my arms.

"What's going on? Is this the child that you were telling me about?" she whispered.

"Yes indeed she is," I said with a smile.

Esme came closer so that she was just two feet away.

"Hi Baby, I'm Esme," she greeted softly.

The child just looked at her with a blank face. Esme seemed a little confused.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I've taken to calling her Angel," I said.

"Why is she . . . that way?" she asked, at loss for words on how to describe it.

"I told you, she's distant. She was better earlier, but now that she's in a new place she has her guard up again. She'll probably be more open in a few days after she's gotten used to everything," I said.

Esme's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that she's going to be living with us for the next three weeks, and I'm off of work the whole time," I explained.

Her face was one of shock, then realization, and then finally excitement. I smiled; this was the moment I had been waiting all day for.

"Really? Oh my goodness! You should have told me! I didn't get a pretty little girl's room ready! I guess the guestroom will just have to do for a few days. It's a good thing that you can be home too, because I need to run to Lowe's tomorrow and get some paint. And everything else a girl needs! Like a pink canopy bed, and a –"

"Whoa Nelly, slow down a little." She was talking a mile a minute. "It's just for three weeks."

"And I'm determined to make it the best three weeks of her life!" she declared.

I sighed and surrendered. There was no reining her in once she got going. I listened to her talk on and on about decorating this and buying that until I just couldn't stand it anymore. I loved my wife, but I didn't love interior design.

"Darling, I'm going to put her to bed. Do you want to come with?" I asked.

"Well of course! Here, let me go ahead of you so that I can get the bed ready," she said.

The extra bedroom that we had for really no reason since we never had any guests was located right across the hall from mine and Esme's. Esme pulled down the sheets and I gently laid the tired child down. I stroked her cheek and told her that I was just right across the hall if she needed anything and that she could use the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom at any time without permission. Esme murmured a few words of love to her before turning around to leave.

"Goodnight, Angel," I said quietly before turning off the light and shutting the door.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter of this story. Please favorite and follow and add it to a community if possible. Reviews are also much appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. Life's just been crazy. Thank you to those who reviewed. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Same as usual.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2:**

**CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:**

My little angel seemed to have a restless night. She had been tossing and turning all night long, and when I checked on her a few times, she was wide awake, but quickly pretended to be sleeping when she noticed me. I would be lying to say that I didn't find it cute, but I was concerned about her health. Sleep is essential for any human being.

It was nine in the morning, and Esme was already gone getting paint and furniture and other stuff for our guest. Angel seemed to have fallen asleep by four, and I didn't want to wake her as she was sleeping so peacefully now. But if I didn't, she would sleep till late in the afternoon and not be able to go to bed tonight and her schedule would be severely messed up. I toyed with the idea for a while before deciding to wake her. Esme had made pancakes and instructed me to put them on a tray and give Angel breakfast in bed. I brought the tray into the guest room and set it on the nightstand, thinking that maybe the smell would help wake her up. It did nothing; it was all up to me.

The problem was that I wasn't quite sure how to wake a sleeping child. Of course being a doctor I had to wake children up all the time to give them medicine or examine them, but this was a very different situation. I had no idea how to be a father, or father figure, or whatever I was to her at this point. I was more than her doctor, but I wasn't her father. Caretaker? Guardian? I just didn't know.

I gingerly laid my hand on her shoulder and shook it slightly. "Baby Girl," I said softly.

Her muscles tensed and her eyes shot wide open.

"It's okay Angel, everything's okay," I soothed her.

After she remembered the events that had occurred and remembered why she was here, she lapsed back into that same emotionless state. I sighed. It seemed that all previous progress was long gone and useless. I reminded myself to be patient. Who knows what bloody hell the child had been through.

"You must be hungry Sweetheart. How about you try these pancakes that Esme made for you," I suggested to her.

A faint sign of recognition crossed her face when I spoke of Esme. Her eyes scanned the room, and then a slightly curious expression appeared.

"Esme went to Minneapolis to get some things for you. She's getting clothes and things for your bedroom that we are planning on decorating. That sounds like fun, doesn't it? Maybe you can help. If you want, Esme and I can take you to pick some things out. Just tell me when you're ready," I said.

I held the fork up to her lips. She didn't protest at all, and after that I couldn't seem to feed her fast enough. When I held up the glass of milk, she took it from me and gulped it down. Angel gave me a grateful look before going back to her usual blank expression. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, helping her wake up. I grabbed the clothes off the nightstand that Esme had set out for me to put her in and stood up.

"Let's get you dressed," I said.

I stood her up and tried to pull the sleeves of her shirt, but she fought me on it by grabbing the bottom of the shirt and pulling it down. I stopped immediately, worried that I would hurt her.

"Do you want to do it yourself?" I asked, confused.

I got no response, of course. When I handed her the dress, she just threw it on the ground.

"Hey, there's no need to throw things," I said firmly, yet softly.

She cowered back, and I felt bad. I shouldn't have scolded her for something to unimportant as throwing a shirt. It wasn't like it was hard or breakable or like she threw it at me or anything. I was supposed to be healing this child, but all I was doing was frightening her. Some caring person I was.

"I'm sorry Sweetheart, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just want to help you get dressed, and you're being very difficult. We're just going to take the shirt you're wearing now off and replace it with this pretty purple sweater dress, okay?" I said.

She shook her head no. That was a response! Ha! Success! I felt like jumping up and down, but I kept my cool for the little girl's sake. As much as I wanted to rejoice the response, I had to keep trying to get her dressed. I didn't want Esme to think that I couldn't handle doing something as simple as getting a child dressed.

"C'mon, Baby Girl, I won't hurt you. I will _never_ do what that twisted man did to you," I promised her, figuring that was the reason for her fears.

She gave a heavy sigh, and slowly pulled off her nightshirt. I quickly replaced it with the bulky sweater dress so that she wouldn't be uncomfortable for long. Then I pulled her pants down and sat her on the edge of the bed. I wasn't quite sure how Esme expected me to put tights on her. They looked way too small, but they were stretchy so maybe they would work. I put her foot in the hole, but I couldn't get her foot down to the bottom because the material was too stretchy. Angel got restless and started to squirm a little bit, so that added to the already extremely difficult task. After about ten minutes, she was finally dressed.

"Done at last, Baby Girl!" I announced, picking her up and holding her against my hip.

I carried her downstairs into the living room so that she could run around and play in the bright and open space. I also wanted to observe her in a relaxed environment, but that just sounds like I'm studying a lab rat. And this child was far from a lab rat.

I put her on the floor and walked over to one of the couches about eight feet away and sat down. She just stood there awkwardly, glancing around the room unsure of what to do. I grabbed my book off the side table and pretended to read when I was really watching her from under my lashes. She sighed and shifted her weight uneasily, and that got me wondering if she needed to use the bathroom. When I asked her, that seemed to snap her out of whatever she was thinking about and bring her attention to me. She shook her head no, so I just settled back in to "read".

Ten minutes later, she slowly padded over to the couch. Now I focused on the words in the book because she would probably notice me peering at her when she was this close. She tapped my knee.

"Yes Sweetheart? Do you need something?" I asked, smiling at her.

She pointed to her mouth.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. She had just eaten, so that probably wasn't it.

She shook her head. Angel stuck out her tongue and pointed again.

"Your throat hurts?" I tried again.

She shook her head and sighed exasperatedly. It was cute, but I still needed to know what she wanted.

"Can you show me, Angel?"

She thought for a moment, and then nodded. The girl started walked toward the staircase, so I put my book down and followed her. We went back upstairs to the third story where the bedrooms were. She led me into Esme's and mine bedroom. She looked around the room until she spotted the photo of Esme and me on our wedding day on the nightstand. She pointed at Esme, and then pointed to the big grandfather clock on the opposite wall. I instantly understood. Angel was a smart girl.

"Esme should be back soon. Should we call her to see where she is?" I asked.

Angel nodded. I sat down on the bed and placed her next to me. I pulled out my phone and tapped Esme's number. I put it on speaker with hopes that Angel would speak once she heard Esme.

"Hello?" Esme answered.

I waited a few seconds for Angel to respond, but she never did.

"Hello, my love. The sweet child and I are wondering when you will return home," I said.

"I'm in the car driving there right now. Oh Carlisle, you won't believe all of the stuff I found for Angel's room! Is she there?" she asked.

"Yes, she is sitting right next to me. She knows you're there; you've been on speaker phone the whole time," I said. "She was asking for you."

Esme did a double take. "She was?"

"Not verbally, but she went through a lot of theatrics to show me what she wanted. First she pointed at her mouth, which now I think is because you were the one to make her food, then she led me into our bedroom where she pointed at a picture of you, and then at the clock. Angel wants you home, Love," I explained.

I swear I heard the accelerator. "I'm ten minutes away," she said.

"See you soon," I said before ending the call.

Angel hopped off the bed and ran out the door. I was ecstatic that she was more comfortable in her surroundings and that she was starting to move more. Time was all she needed. That week in the hospital showed very little progress, but turns out all she needs is to be away from that tense atmosphere and experience love and care, which Esme and I would give to her with all our heart. She wasn't healed yet, but we were sure on the way there. I heard a hard _thud_ and rushed out the door. Angel was sitting on the first landing rubbing her head.

"Oh no Baby Girl, did you hit your head?" I asked.

She nodded and her bottom lip started to quiver. She looked strained, as if she was trying to hold back tears. I wonder why; children usually don't try to hold back their tears. I scooped her up and patted her back.

"There, there, my dear, it's all right," I comforted.

I carefully prodded the spot she'd hit, searching for swelling or bruising. I found none. I carried her downstairs to the kitchen and gave her a cookie. After that she was fine. It was amazing how sugar healed a kid instantly. The garage door opened, so I carried Angel out to the garage to meet her. Esme immediately came and took Angel out of my arms and swept past me inside, leaving me to carry all of the bags she'd managed to pack into her large red SUV. Angel wasn't going to run short on clothes, that was for sure.

When I carried the last of the bags in, I found Esme and Angel sitting on the floor in the living room looking through all of the stuff Esme had bought. Angel seemed happy, though there wasn't much of an expression on her face. I joined them on the floor, pulling Angel into my lap. She leaned back, putting her head on my shoulder and sighing in contentment. She blinked more slowly keeping her eyes closed for longer periods of time before falling asleep in my arms.

"She's so adorable, Carlisle," Esme gushed, pulling out her phone and snapping a photo.

"She's wonderful," I agreed.

"I'm sorry, but I have some more shopping to do. I want to get her a big canopy bed and some cute furniture," she said.

"Esme, I think what we have in the guestroom will suffice. She's only here for twenty more days," I reminded her.

"I don't care. I want her to have everything she could ever want while she's here. Carlisle, this may be our only chance at being parents. Don't you want to make the most of it?"

"Of course I do, but I'd rather spend time with her physically than to be out shopping for her half the time. The canopy bed is unnecessary since I'd rather have her sleep in my arms. She will have a bed at wherever she goes next, but chances are she won't have someone to hold and love her as much as we do. Unfortunately foster homes usually don't have much time for each specific kid because they are busy caring for them as a whole. I think it's wonderful that you got her pink pillows and fun lights to decorate the guestroom so that she likes it, but I believe that physical love is more important to her," I said.

Esme frowned. "I just want her to be happy."

"I know Love, and you are doing a great job at that. The way she missed you today proves it. Maybe tomorrow when she's a little bit more comfortable we can take her into town and find a Halloween costume. It's already Tuesday, and Halloween is on Thursday," I said.

Esme's face lit up. "How could I have forgotten? I didn't even think about that! Oh Carlisle, wouldn't she be so cute dressed in a little witch costume? Or a black kitty cat? We could dress up too!"

"Darling, I hate to rain on your parade but I wouldn't be caught dead or alive in a cat costume. Or any other costume, for that matter," I said.

"I think I can change your mind," Esme said, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Why don't I go lay Angel in her bed so that we can spend some time together?"

I carried the sleeping child upstairs and tucked her in. It was only noon, so I could let her take a three hour nap and then she'd still be able to sleep tonight. I closed the drapes and left the door slightly opened so that when she woke up she wouldn't be in total darkness. Then I went back downstairs to spend time with my lovely overexcited wife.

"I just wish that we could have children of our own," Esme sighed as we cuddled on the couch.

"I know, I do too. I'm sure this is harder on you than it is on me," I said.

"I don't know about that. It's true, I have had more quality time with children than you since I had a son, but that goes two ways. I'm sure you're just as hungry for a baby too," she said.

"Esme that's not a very smart choice of words. We are vampires, after all," I teased her.

She slapped my arm. "You know that's not what I meant."

A few hours later we heard light footsteps coming down the stairs. Angel peered cautiously around the corner before slowly making her way over to us. She climbed up on the couch and wedged herself in between us. I wrapped my arm around her and Esme and Esme grabbed her hand. Angel looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back at her and poked her nose with my finger. She grinned, and poked me back. That game lasted for about five minutes, ending with me laughing hysterically and Esme shaking her head at me in exasperation and amusement.

"Leave it to you to lose a poking contest," she sighed.

"Esme, I think you should make her something to eat. It's almost seven already," I said.

Esme left to go cook and I stayed on the couch with Angel. She was looking really sleepy, but I wasn't about to let her go to bed without dinner. Angel was malnourished and skinny as could be, so skipping a meal was completely out of the question. Her muscles began to relax and she yawned.

"Not yet Honey, you still need to eat," I told her.

She shook her head and yawned again as if she was proving her point.

"I know you're tired, but Esme's making you a delicious meal. Can't you stay awake long enough to let her know if you like it or not?" I asked.

She shrugged and rubbed her eyes.

"Let's go out to the kitchen," I said, standing up and pulling her with me.

We walked out to the kitchen and found Esme making spaghetti. Angel perked up a bit at the smell of food, but that didn't erase the dark circles under her eyes. Esme placed the plate in front of her and the two of us went out to the living room to let her eat in peace without us watching.

"I feel like a mother. I love it," Esme said.

"I never realized till now how much I really love children. I see them at the hospital all the time, but spending time with them like this is something new. I think I might finally understand what you miss so much," I said.

"It kills me knowing that I would've had the chance after my son died. If I hadn't tried to commit suicide, I might've fallen in love and had another baby. But now I don't regret what I did at all because I have you. If I had known my future back then, I would have killed myself the first time I met you when I was sixteen. I don't know how to express my feelings for you. I just want to say thank you," Esme said.

I chuckled. "Those words are very touching, Darling. But I think it's _you_ who saved _me_."

"We could argue for years on that conclusion," Esme said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you could just agree that I'm right," I said, pecking her on the lips.

"Never," she smiled back.

Fifteen minutes later, we decided to go check on Angel. She had stopped eating long ago, but figured that we'd just let her stay there until she decided to come out on her own. It had been a while and she still hadn't come to us, so I decided it was time to reach out to her. When we rounded the corner into the kitchen, we found her asleep at the table with her face in the spaghetti. She was still holding the fork. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing, and a side-glanced Esme to see her doing the same.

"Apparently the noodles are soft enough to be a pillow," I said quietly.

"Let me take a picture and then you can clean her up," Esme whispered.

Once Esme got the picture and was satisfied, I picked Angel up and carried her to the bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth and began wiping the sauce of her face. Esme brought me a pair of pajamas to put her in. She stayed asleep through the whole thing. I carried her to bed and tightly wrapped the blankets around her. I dimmed the lamp before leaving the room.

Just like the night before, Esme and I laid down in our bed. At about midnight, I heard a small moan come from Angel's room. I jumped up out of bed and walked quickly to her room. I pushed the door open and found her sound asleep. Her skin was slightly red, and when I pressed my hand to her forehead I felt like I was being burned.

I shook her awake.

"Honey, are you feeling okay?" I asked gently.

She shook her head, and then her stomach lurched. I couldn't grab the trash can fast enough before she vomited her dinner. Once she was finished, she peered up at me with scared and apologetic eyes.

"It's okay Angel," I said. "Esme!" I called.

She immediately appeared at my side.

"Oh poor thing," she said.

"Can you please change the sheets while I clean her up and examine her?" I asked.

She nodded. "Of course."

"Here Honey, let's make you better," I said, picking her up out of bed.

I gave her a quick bath in the bathroom sink since I doubted that she would be able to handle a full bath. She looked exhausted. I carried her to my study where my medical supplies was and set her on my desk. Angel was frightened, but I didn't have time to comfort her. I had to know what was wrong. There was no reason for her to be sick so suddenly. I prayed it was just the flu.

* * *

**A/N: I will try to update more often and like I said I am so sorry. I hop you understand and continue to stick around. Please review, I appreciate them a lot! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
